My European excursion is now about half-way over and it’s been a whirlwind so far. Today is a transition day as I move on from the first part of my trip, that I’ll call my friends tour. The driver for this trip overall was my friend Kris’s 50th birthday party in Munich for Oktoberfest. But, I figured it was also a great opportunity to see European friends again that I previously met traveling. Initially I planned to do that last spring but Oktober would fit in nicely.
My first stop was England and my friend Jacob, who had given me his Nottingham Forest jersey while we were in Spanish school in Colombia. I had been to London once before for a full day layover so I had previously seen the sights. My main interest this time, since I was a converted Nottifingham Forest fan, was seeing a premier league game, which we did, and you can read a whole post about it. Other than that it was pretty chill time, one day we toured around Oxford and another was spent in London (seeing a few more sites).
Paris was my next stop and I was excited to take the train from London that goes underneath the English Channel. I am not sure why I was excited though since all it is is a dark tunnel where you see nothing for about 15 minutes. But, I did it. And I knew somewhere above me, with water all around, was the English Channel.
In Paris I met-up with my friend Albane who I met in Brazil. We traveled together some there and then again in Argentina for a while. On my first day we walked around Paris and she showed me some of the sights, Montmartre, Notre Dame, the Louvre, Latin quarter, we ate crepes at a sidewalk table outside a café, and had drinks at another. So Parisian.
She had a work conference out of town for a few days so I took the opportunity to go to Normandy to see WW2 memorial sites. When I arrived, I tried to sign up for a tour that takes you to several sites. It was a lot harder than I imagined to find people offering tours and the tourist information center in town only offered one, and that seemed extremely expensive for not a lot of time. I then found one online that was cheaper, however that started in Paris where I had just traveled from. Friends from home helped me find other options but by this time I realized what I heard previously might be true, renting a car might be the best way. For me that proved to be correct.
I was able to pick and choose what to see and how long to spend. I went to the bunkers and craters at Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach, the Normandy American cemetery, and the Longues-sur-Mar battery. Each site had ample explanations or I was able to read about each online before and during. I also walked around the town of Bayeux. While standing on Omaha beach looking around, and walking around the craters at Pointe du Hoc, I had many thoughtful moments, I was both sad but thankful this occurred.
Back in Paris I met up with Albane again and we had another day of exploration. This time the Museo D’Orsay, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees and the Arc de Triomphe. We didn’t go up the Eiffel Tower but did go to the top of the Arc, which was a first for my Paris born and bred friend. Glad I could show her a side of Paris she had never seen. Of course drinks at a café and dinner at a restaurant sitting outside at a table were required. So Parisian.
It was now time to start making my way to Munich for the big event. But I had a few days and wanted to get a nature fix and see more of France and a bit of Germany beforehand.
First was Strasbourg which is a mix of the two countries and cultures. It’s still in France but close to the border and the governorship of the town has switched between countries many times over the years. The newer sections feel French but in the old city centre I felt like I had already arrived in Germany. I did a walking tour there and the guide mentioned the residents don’t feel they are either German or French, rather Alsation, someone from Alsace, the region it is in.
From there I went to Freiburg, a small German town not far across the border that backs up to the Black Forest. To say I needed some nature at this point would be an understatement. Freiburg is a cool small city that has a little bit of charm and university feel (because there is a university there). However, it also has many trails you can take from town into the forest, which was the reason I was there. I did a cool hike up to a lookout tower where on a clear day you can see Germany, France and Switzerland all at once. It was clear but not that clear so I can’t say I saw Switzerland.
But I did want to see more of Germany, so the next day I went to another small city, Ulm. Ulm is the birthplace of Albert Einstein. Through the middle of town there is a river and that afternoon and evening it was filled with people along the banks. Picnicing, playing games, walking, running, everybody just outside enjoying the weather. I thought maybe there was an event happening but no, just a normal evening. The town had a great little vibe. I asked the hostel manager what the weather was like in winter and she responded by asking if I was planning on moving there. Reason being, she came 2 years ago for a weekend and never left, and that was one of her first questions back then.
Next stop, Munich.
Life is good.